poll finds mixed reviews on obama, but optimism about economy
Public opinion is divided on President Barack Obama’s overall performance, but a significant number of people believe the economy is doing better and the country is heading in the right direction, according to a poll conducted by New York University journalism students.
At a time when Obama’s presidency is winding down with the 2016 presidential elections approaching, 45 percent of those polled said they approve of Obama’s performance because they have seen improvements in the quality of their daily lives.
“I think it’s getting better from what I see in the news, and the positive changes I have experienced in my quality of life,” said Wei Lin, a 26-year-old recent college graduate from China who identifies as Independent.
However, 35 percent of respondents rated Barack Obama’s performance negatively, agreeing that he has not fulfilled his commitments to provide financial support to those from low-income backgrounds.
“He’s not keeping his promises,” said Michelle Wang, a 40-year-old banker from China who describes herself as Independent.
Despite the mixed reviews on Obama, most people interviewed were pleased with the present state of the economy. In the past year, only 1 in 10 lost their job or experienced job loss in their family. This is consistent with the reports in the February 2015 Labor Department statistics report showing a decrease in the unemployment rate from 5.7 to 5.5 percent. In addition, 65 percent of participants said they believe the country is heading in the right direction and the economy is improving.
Julia Hawrylo, a 57-year-old homemaker from Maryland who identifies as Democrat, said she believes the economy is doing well and the doubts raised by people in the news are intended to put pressure on the government.
“I think there are a lot of missayers trying to make us really concerned,” Hawrylo said. “I think they’re trying to throw an election.”
In the wake of that presidential election, Hillary Clinton’s expected run has generated controversy among people from different political backgrounds. While 45 percent of all respondents said Clinton would most likely win the election in 2016, 4 in 10 said they do not support her.
“I don’t trust her,” said 40-year-old Republican William Alexiadis who works at a company. “She’s very hypocritical.”
Meanwhile, 7 in 10 had no opinion on their preferred candidate to represent the Republicans or were not aware of the candidates for the Republican Party’s nomination in 2016. The only candidates mentioned were Chris Christie and Jeb Bush who were supported by 20 and 30 percent of the people polled respectively.
While politics is one of the top issues for people in Union Square, many said they would like to see the government take a more active role in the training of police officers, the legalization of recreational drugs such as marijuana, and the reduction of student debt.
In the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown, an African-American young male in Ferguson, Missouri by a police officer and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests all over the U.S. in December 2014, 55 percent of participants said they were not pleased with the way the federal government handled the situation.
“I think we really need to acknowledge the fact that there is not enough good training done with our police departments and we need to acknowledge that there is a racism problem,” Hawrylo said.
Americans are also concerned about the legality of marijuana use. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they would support a law to legalize the drug. Many of those polled argued that marijuana is not as harmful as most people think it is and is better than other drugs.
“When I smoke marijuana I’m so much safer than when I drink alcohol,” said Megan Russell, a 24-year-old actress from Ohio who is politically liberal. “I can drive, I can function, I can speak, I can come up with intelligent things to say.”
Yet, there are still people who do not feel comfortable with having marijuana readily accessible, because of its effects on brain activity.
“It is a drug,” said Andrew Lo, a 51-year-old Independent factory worker from Indonesia. “How could it be legal? Only America would approve this.”
Another source of concern, especially for younger participants, was the high cost of attending college. Students in many cases have to incur large amounts of debt to pay for college. Over 70 percent of those who graduated from U.S. colleges in 2014 were in debt, with an average of $33,000 per student, according to an analysis of National Center of Education data by student loan expert Mark Kantrowitz. This was a 10 percent rise from the average debt for graduates of 2013.
While two-fifths of respondents argued the government or the universities themselves should resolve the issue by providing more aid, some said the mindset of college applicants has to change.
The poll was conducted on March 28 at Union Square with a total of 20 participants: six females and 14 males. The ages of the participants ranged from 14-60. Of the respondents, 13 identified as Independent, two were Republican, three were Democrats, one was liberal and one was undecided.
At a time when Obama’s presidency is winding down with the 2016 presidential elections approaching, 45 percent of those polled said they approve of Obama’s performance because they have seen improvements in the quality of their daily lives.
“I think it’s getting better from what I see in the news, and the positive changes I have experienced in my quality of life,” said Wei Lin, a 26-year-old recent college graduate from China who identifies as Independent.
However, 35 percent of respondents rated Barack Obama’s performance negatively, agreeing that he has not fulfilled his commitments to provide financial support to those from low-income backgrounds.
“He’s not keeping his promises,” said Michelle Wang, a 40-year-old banker from China who describes herself as Independent.
Despite the mixed reviews on Obama, most people interviewed were pleased with the present state of the economy. In the past year, only 1 in 10 lost their job or experienced job loss in their family. This is consistent with the reports in the February 2015 Labor Department statistics report showing a decrease in the unemployment rate from 5.7 to 5.5 percent. In addition, 65 percent of participants said they believe the country is heading in the right direction and the economy is improving.
Julia Hawrylo, a 57-year-old homemaker from Maryland who identifies as Democrat, said she believes the economy is doing well and the doubts raised by people in the news are intended to put pressure on the government.
“I think there are a lot of missayers trying to make us really concerned,” Hawrylo said. “I think they’re trying to throw an election.”
In the wake of that presidential election, Hillary Clinton’s expected run has generated controversy among people from different political backgrounds. While 45 percent of all respondents said Clinton would most likely win the election in 2016, 4 in 10 said they do not support her.
“I don’t trust her,” said 40-year-old Republican William Alexiadis who works at a company. “She’s very hypocritical.”
Meanwhile, 7 in 10 had no opinion on their preferred candidate to represent the Republicans or were not aware of the candidates for the Republican Party’s nomination in 2016. The only candidates mentioned were Chris Christie and Jeb Bush who were supported by 20 and 30 percent of the people polled respectively.
While politics is one of the top issues for people in Union Square, many said they would like to see the government take a more active role in the training of police officers, the legalization of recreational drugs such as marijuana, and the reduction of student debt.
In the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown, an African-American young male in Ferguson, Missouri by a police officer and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests all over the U.S. in December 2014, 55 percent of participants said they were not pleased with the way the federal government handled the situation.
“I think we really need to acknowledge the fact that there is not enough good training done with our police departments and we need to acknowledge that there is a racism problem,” Hawrylo said.
Americans are also concerned about the legality of marijuana use. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they would support a law to legalize the drug. Many of those polled argued that marijuana is not as harmful as most people think it is and is better than other drugs.
“When I smoke marijuana I’m so much safer than when I drink alcohol,” said Megan Russell, a 24-year-old actress from Ohio who is politically liberal. “I can drive, I can function, I can speak, I can come up with intelligent things to say.”
Yet, there are still people who do not feel comfortable with having marijuana readily accessible, because of its effects on brain activity.
“It is a drug,” said Andrew Lo, a 51-year-old Independent factory worker from Indonesia. “How could it be legal? Only America would approve this.”
Another source of concern, especially for younger participants, was the high cost of attending college. Students in many cases have to incur large amounts of debt to pay for college. Over 70 percent of those who graduated from U.S. colleges in 2014 were in debt, with an average of $33,000 per student, according to an analysis of National Center of Education data by student loan expert Mark Kantrowitz. This was a 10 percent rise from the average debt for graduates of 2013.
While two-fifths of respondents argued the government or the universities themselves should resolve the issue by providing more aid, some said the mindset of college applicants has to change.
The poll was conducted on March 28 at Union Square with a total of 20 participants: six females and 14 males. The ages of the participants ranged from 14-60. Of the respondents, 13 identified as Independent, two were Republican, three were Democrats, one was liberal and one was undecided.